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59th Congress, | CONFIDENTIAL, j Executive Document 

1st Session. \ 1 No. 2. 



F 1799 

.18 

J423 

:opy 1 CONDITIONS IN ISLE OF PINES. 



March 7, 1906. — Presented by Mr. Penro.se for Mr. Morgan, and ordered to be 
printed in confidence for the use of the Senate. 



[To accompany Ex. J, 58th Cong., 2d sess. — Isle of Pines treaty.] 
[Office of George E. Hibbard, 226 La Salle street, Chicago.] 

March 1, 1906. 
Senator John T. Morgan. 

Dear Sir : Yours of the 23d received. 

I am sending- you some maps of the Isle of Pines; also blueprint 
maps of our (El Canal) tract, showing how this tract was subdivided 
and sold. 

I wish to state some facts in detail that have been overlooked here- 
tofore, and if I stoop to call a leg a leg, etc., you will please excuse me. 

I will give you a little account of how these tracts of land are 
handled. It will be understood that no man could go to the Isle of 
Pines and buy any fraction of these estates. We had to buy the entire 
estate or none at all, and this is the history of every one of these tracts 
that I know of. 

This howl by some of the papers that the island was bought up and 
held by speculators is the worst kind of rot. There was no other way 
to buy the land but to organize capital sufficient to bu}^ an entire tract, 
and not one of the original owners lived in the island. It would have 
laid there another 400 years, if we had not bought it, in the same con- 
dition that Columbus left it. Now that we are making something of 
it, they (the Cubans) want it. I will tell you now, Mr. Morgan, if 
the}^ ever do get it, it wall be after they have walked over several dead 
Americans. 

We, the El Canal Company, bought our tract about two years ago. or 
took an option on it to see if w^e could handle it. Subscriptions came 
in very fast, so that the tract was bought, surveyed, and subdivided, 
and sold to the people whose names you see on the blueprint. It may 
be just a little interesting to know just how those allotments were made 
so everyone would get a share of the good, medium, and poor lands. 
To do this we made up parcels, drawing them by lots equal to the num- 
ber of purchasers in our company, putting 90 acres in each drawing, 
or as near 90 as possi])le. Three hundred acres were deemed to be bad 
land, and so no one should be liable to draw that it was not put into 
the drawings, but sold after to the highest bidder. So this whole tract 
was divided, sorted, and allotted in two days without one single com- 
plaint, so you see what American fair play can do when we all get 
together. 



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2 CONDITIONS IN ISLE OF PINES. 






I will explain as near as 1 can how I — and I presume the great majority 
of the rest of the people who went there — came to go, and approximately 
what has been done in the waj^ of improvements since it was first dis- 
covered by Americans between five and six years ago. Four times as 
much would have been done if this scheme to hand the island over to 
Cuba had not been hatched. 

When the condition of our treaty with Spain that gave the Isle of 
Pines to the United States began to be studied into, the mercantile men 
began to go to Cuba looking for future business; reports came from 
the Isle of Pines about its wonderful climate, wonderful therman 
springs that cure rheumatism and other blood diseases, and its wonder- 
ful soil, and consequent productiveness in citrus, fruits, vegetables, 
and tobacco. 

Inquiries began to be sent to the War Department and other De- 
partments asking as to the actual status of the island. All answers 
confirm our version of the treatj^ — that the other islands of the W^est 
Indies (article 2) meant Isle of Pines and other islands, some of which, 
a little east of the Isle of Pines, the American flag now floats over, I 
am told b}^ one of the owners. 

Approximatel}^ five or six years ago, after it had been thoroughly 
understood that the Isle of Pines was American territory, Mr. C. M. 
Johnson, a man from Fond du Lac, Wis., and a commercial man, went 
to the Isle of Pines to look the situation over and tried to bu}' a small 
tract of land. He found that it was impossible to buy any except by 
taking an entire holding. He met Mr. Robert I. Wall, another resident 
at that time of Fond du Lac. They together secured the Lamacigos 
tract. They soon sold that out and formed a company and bought the 
Sante Fe tract of 3.5,000 acres. I am advised that all but 9,000 or 
10,000 acres of that has been sold to actual and prospective settlers. 

The moment the Cubans found that the Americans were likely to 
settle and improve the island they began to want it. Until that time 
they considered it of no account, as they had ten times more land in 
Cuba than they ever could make use of; but here was an opportunity 
to get something for absolutely nothing, and an opportunity to collect 
taxes from us Americans. So, with the help of the tobacco trusts 
and some of our own oflicials, they succeeded in pulling the wool over 
the eyes of President Roosevelt and got that treaty negotiated. Of 
course it was a hard blow to us and all true Americans, and the Senate 
sat down on it, but not hard enough to kill the confounded beast, and 
now it pops up again, but we still have faith in true American patriot- 
ism that it will not see our own flesh and blood trampled under foot, 
especially when we do not seek to take that which does not belong to 
us, or injure anyone else. 

The moment the Americans got to the Isle of Pines in sufiicient 
numbers they immediately set to work to organize churches and schools. 
In the last two years four churches have been built — one Baptist, at 
Nueva Gerona, one Episcopalian, at Columbia, one Methodist, at 
Santa Fe, one Episcopalian, at Santa Rosalia Heights — but all these 
work together and exchange pulpits. The schools are taught in these 
churches mostl3^ 

The Cuban officials attempt to prevent the education of American 
children by denying certificates to American teachers because they 
can not pass a Spanish examination. The Americans went ahead, 
opened their own schools, secured their own teachers, and told the 

LIlii^ARlf^QF CUtv'GKfcSsI 
RECKlVBO 



CONDITIONS IN ISLE OF PINES. 6 

rr^ Cubans to do their . This is the only wa}- the schools can be kept 

^ open. The Spanish schools are run b}^ guess and by an}- old 

^ way, when the teacher happens to think to get around. 
X Up to the time that these churches were built, the services were 
\3,held in these old Spanish hotels, built by the Spanish in the times of 
kV. Spanish prosperitj^ before the war for summer resorts, as the tem- 
•^ perature is from 15 to 20 degrees lower than in Habana on account of 
its position away from Cuba in the Caribbean Sea. You will see that 
six new town sites have been started and building is going forward as 
fast as the sawmills can cut out timber. There are now three perma- 
nent and three portable sawmills running. 

Speaking of sawmills and law, let me relate a little circumstance to 
illustrate how law is administered in the island; Mr. Purdy, the owner 
of one of the portable sawmills, was passing along by one of these 
native's houses of thatched palm roof, a spark flew over to the shack 
and caught fire in the roof. The men ran over and put the fire' out; a 
hole 5 or 6 feet square, approximately, had been burned. Mr. Purdy 
immediately settled with the owner at a stiff price, paid $25, and took 
a receipt in full for all damages. 

Some few da3^s after, one of those Cuban officials came along, told 
this native he was a great fool, that he could make Mr. Purdy put a 
new tile roof on his house and, as the pole frame was not strong- 
enough to support a tile roof, Mr. Purdy would have to build brick 
walls to support it; so the native was to get a new house at Mr. 
Purdy's expense after the whole matter had been settled and paid for 
at 125. Well, Mr. Purdy was arrested, taken to Nueva Gerona, 
hauled up before the Cuban magistrate, put under bonds to appear 
every Monday at court until the matter was disposed of. I felt that 
the whole thing was so foreign to any sense of justice that I offered to 
take the m.atter up to Mr. Squires in Habana; so Mr. Purdy gave me 
the details of the whole matter 1 called at the consulate, but did not 
get to see Mr. Squires. In a day or two I met Mr. Purdy in the 
streets of Habana. He had concluded to leave the island, and would 
not try to do any more sawmill work as long as Cuba pretended to 
administer law in the island. 

If a man goes along the road there and his mule breaks through^ a 
bridge and breaks its leg the man is prosecuted and perhaps impris- 
oned for breaking the bridge. 

Speaking of bridges reminds me of an incident at Nueva Gerona last 
spring. During the American occupation the colsada, or turnpike 
road, was built under the supervision of our army officers; the first 
bridge from Nueva Gerona is over the Casas River in the edge of the 
town, just at the bead of navigation. This is quite a long bridge, per- 
haps 100 or 125 feet long, and built at the time of the building of the 
road. The floor timbers became rotten and unsafe, and were condemned 
by the Cuban officials to all team travel. After this condemnation all 
freight had to be ferried across the river on a schooner, by hauling the 
boat by ropes. The people of the island petitioned the alcalde to have 
the bridge repaired. He continually put them off, and not only would 
not repair the bridge, but would not give his permit to allow the 
Americans to repair it. 

Well, American indignation began to arise, slowly at first but surely 
rising. After our paving hundreds of thousands of dollars into the 
Cuban treasury we could not even get permission to repair that bridge. 



4 CONDITIONS IN ISLE OF PINES. 

let alone their doing- it for us. I doubt now that there is a Cuban on 
that island that has mechanical ability to even repair a bridge. Well, 
the Americans made up their minds that the bridge would be repaired. 
They made a surv^ey of the materials needed, had the timbers sawed 
out, all loaded onto wagons, got into the ground bright and early 
one morning with 20 or 25 men with Yankee axes, saws, etc. Well, 
the alcalde came out with his greasers and attempted to stop the work 
but found that if he attempted to carry matters too far he would have 
trouble on his hands instanter. The American flag was flj'ing over that 
bridge and over veterans of both sides of our little misunderstanding, 
and it never would have come down until that bridge was put in order. 

Well, to avoid serious trouble the Americans allowed the alcalde to 
put up the Cuban flag at the other end of the bridge, also allowed 
them to tear up a little of the rotten timber for appearance sake, to 
save their face, as the French snj, so I presume it will go down in 
Cuban history that thej^ built that bridge over the Casas River. The 
Americans tinished the bridge in time to get over the river with their 
families to celebrate the Fourth of July under Old Glory in the town 
of Nueva Gerona in an old-fashioned wa}^ greasers looking on and 
scowling. Since, these Cubans have absolutel_y refused to spend one 
cent of our money, paid them legally, on any improvements whatever. 
We have repaired the Government road and bridges so as to keep them 
in passable condition. 

As to roads in general, the Calabaza people have built a highway 
nearly the whole length of the tract (4 miles). Caneada people have 
completed a great portion of the highway, including bridges and cul- 
verts, from Santa Fe to the west coast of Signana Bay, 21 miles, to a 
town now building. We, the El Canal people, are now engaged in 
building a highway the whole length of our tract, including bridges 
and culverts. I understood that the McKinle}^ people have built a 
good road to their town of McKinle}", 8 miles west of Gerona, near 
the Managua orange grove, planted by runaway negroes that went 
there from Florida during our civil war. I state these facts so that 
you will not accuse these Cubans of having energy enough to get out 
an orange orchard; their energy is all exhausted in carrying machetes. 
There has been about 5,000 acres of soil turned over by the Americans 
in the last four 3'ears; nearly all has been set out with citron fruit- 
bearing trees. Some is used for tobacco raising, some for vegetables 
and pineapples. 

The inclosed letters from difl'erent people will give 3'ou a pretty clear 
understanding of what other people are doing down there. Our tract 
(El Canal) was survej^ed less than two jenrs ago and subdivided fifteen 
months ago, when each man took possession of his own. Since then 
there has been approximatel}^ 500 acres cleared and 5 new houses built. 
There were several native houses on the tract, all occupied by Spanish 
natives, who are as much opposed to Cuban control as we are, and 
should be considered. These natives, as a rule, work for the Ameri- 
cans, and get three times as much pay for their wOrk as they did before 
the Americans went there, and work every day if they wish to. 

The Spanish Pinaro is a fairl}^ good man and works very well with 
the Americans to direct his vvork. 1 have a Spanish native working 
for me by the year, who lives on my plantation. 1 am setting out 
1,000 citron fruit trees this year. I also have quite a large tobacco 
.field. It was ni}'- intention to plant 5 acres this year, but the exces- 



COTSTDITIONS IN ISLE OF PINES. 5 

sive rains washed out the propagating- bed, so that my field is reduced 
to 10,000 plants. Mr. R. M. Jacks, of out- plantation, turned over iO 
acres last year and set out 1,750 trees and built a good six-room house. 
Mr. Gibbs cleared approximately the same last year and built a house. 
About twelve of our company started to make improvements last year, 
and twice as many will begin this year if this horrible nightmare passes 
without leaving its fearful tracks and sickening results. 

While I was in the Island of Pines on my first trip 1 became inter- 
ested in the extensive timber tract south of the cienaga (swamp), on 
account of the valuable hard woods (15 to 20 varieties), including 
mahogany, Spanish cedar, etc. I reported this matter to my asso- 
ciates on my return to Chicago. We organized a small syndicate of 
a half dozen men to investigate the matter. It being purelv an engi- 
neering proposition, I was selected to make a surve}' and report, on 
account of ni}' experience of railroad construction in the Northwest. 
I went to the island for this purpose a 3'ear ago last month. I made a 
reconnoissance survey of the northern portion for the best route to 
locate a railroad for the construction of the planters' shipping facil- 
ities, terminals, etc. I then chartered a schooner and went around 
into the Sigawana Ba}" and up into the cienaga (swamp), for the pur- 
pose of finding the best location to build a railroad bridge to tap the 
timber and charcoal rocks, I may sa}", instead of land. 

There is a great variety of valuable woods, but very inaccessible 
except by tramway .s. The minute 3^ou would take cattle ofi' the pre- 
pared roadway they would go down in the holes in the coral rocks and 
break their legs. The timber all grows up out of these holes, the 
roots of the trees resisting the rocks as the}^ grow. This coral forma- 
tion seems to have been built on the solid lime rock, then shoved up 
out of the sea. The highest point, I think, is about 50 feet above the 
sea. A ridge of lime rock crops up above or through the coral 4 or 5 
miles inland from the Caribbean Sea. Sand has blown up out of the 
sea in spots along the south coast. Vegetable mold has mixed with 
this sand and formed a little soil along the coast, but of no account 
whatsoever for agricultural purposes. A few Camen Bracken English- 
men are trying to eke out an existence there fishing turtles and trying 
to raise cocoanuts. 

Our proposition, or rather in my report I recommended, that we 
build a pier at or near the Los Indias River, in Sagwana Bay, where 
there is a good depth of water, fairly protected by the keys outside, 
and good anchoi-age; that we build a sawmill, veneer mill, charcoal, 
and wood-alcohol plant there, and make that our port of entry and 
shipping. 

I recommended that we build a narrow-gauge railroad from Nueva 
Gerona, sweeping around in horseshoe shape to Santa Fe and Colum- 
bus to the west coast, for the accommodation of the island. I also 
recommended that we build hotels at the medicinal springs for summer 
and winter resorts. When Mr. Root revived this treaty, and seemed 
so bent on selling his countrymen into bondage, we concluded that we 
had better wait and see if the glamour of his groat personal it}' and 
intellect could daze the eyes and entrance the soul of all you Senators 
at once. Well, 1 think 1 know of a few war horses, and I have faith 
that lots that I don't know will not allow themselves to be blinded by 
this great " I am." He's only a man after all, when 3-ou come to think 
about it. We think it was very fortunate for some of our officials in 



6 CONDITIONS IN ISLE OF PINES. 

Habana that the tobacco graft microbe was very prevalent about that 
time; some few caug'ht the long- green variety before the streets and 
sewers of Habana were thoroughlj^ disinfected. 

About two years ago when we went to the island to see this El Canal 
tract, there was one old lame Mississippi side-wheel boat running from 
Balabana to the island. Now we have two steamers, one new, 14 knots 
an hour, and a line of schooners running between Mobile, Ala. , and the 
island, besides a naphtha launch running between Los Indias River, on 
the west coast, around connecting with the boats at N'ueva Gerona. 

As to population, we know of no accurate census having been taken 
since Mr. McKinley ordered it taken when we owned the island. It 
is variously estimated b}^ reliable judges to be 1,500 to 2,000 Ameri- 
cans, perhaps as man}^ good Spanish Pinaros (American-loving people), 
100 or 150 Cuban American haters. 

As to commerce, shipments from the island were small until last 
37ear, when pineapples, tomatoes, onions, eggplants, some grape fruit, 
some oranges, and approximately 1,000 bales of tobacco were shipped. 
This coming year a great man}^ of the coming orange orchards-and 
grape fruit will come into bearing. Approximately 10,000 crates 
were shipped last year. This quantity will double on itself every year 
for five or six ^^ears on the same trees, and, with the new trees com- 
ing into bearing every year, 3^ou can see what a business this would 
develop into in a short time. Sea island cotton does remarkabl}^ well, 
grows 5 and 6 feet high, with 100 bolls on the stalk of sufficient size 
to lap the stalk over. I am raising some this je&r for samples. I 
will send samples if the Senators question this statement. Rubber 
trees grow very rapidly, and very likely rubber (and seneca century 
plant) for the very line fiber taken from the leaf will be grown on 
that coral rock some day when the timber is taken off, or as fast as it 
is taken off'; at least that is all that it will be good for so far as I 
can see. 

Well, to sum the whole thing up in a nutshell, the Cubans are utterly 
incompetent to plan or execute anything, and they are so jealous of 
the superiority of American methods and push that they throw every 
obstacle in our way, thinking they will discourage our people so they 
will leave the island with all our improvements to them, and that Leon- 
ard Wood had no more right to take the law in his own hands and 
alienate American territory" and American citizens than Benedict Arnold 
had to try to do the same, whether he had secret instructions from the 
War Department to do so or not. It was a disgraceful, un-American, 
disloyal, unlawful act. 

When an army officer can make and unmake citizens and territory 
of the United States it is time to call a halt. 



Yours, very truly. 



(Signed) George E. Hibbard. 

O 




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